Saturday, 24 May 2014

Vietnam

After a 17 day trip across Vietnam it would be pretty hard to do a blog post detailing every last bit, so I'm going to keep it short and sweet.

We travelled up from Ho Chi Minh, to Nha Trang, to Hoi An, to Hanoi, before going all the way back down to Phu Quoc.

17 days may seem like quite a long time, but I certainly could of done with more than a few extra days. Vietnam has potentially earned its spot as my favourite country; beautiful views, food, people, beaches...there was nothing not to enjoy.

If you were going to Vietnam and I had to give 5 tips on what can't be missed, it would be...

1. Vin Pearl, Nha Trang - for around £15 you jump on a cable car that goes across the sea to a little island. On this island you will find a theme park, a water park, a huge arcade (where everything is free), a sea world centre and a twice-a-day dolphin show. It is the most bizarre yet enjoyable place I've ever been to.

2. Hoi An - this was by far my favourite place on the trip. The town's name translates to 'peaceful meeting place' and I think that sums it up. With amazing markets and lantern surrounded rivers, it's definitely worth a visit.

3. Why Not Bar - we came across one in Nha Trang and one in Hoi An. In Hoi An it was pretty tricky to find, but at around £3 entry you get unlimited drinks so I'd say the time spent finding it paid off.

4. Halong Bay Castaway Trip - everyone I know who's been to Vietnam seems to of done it. There's a few different ones, however, this one is known as the 'party' trip and it's a lot of fun. You spend one night on the boat in the bay and the second night on the island - it feels a little bit like being on shipwrecked. With opportunities to go rock climbing, kayaking and tubing it's 100% worth the money. Not to mention the amazing food...

5. Mud Baths, Nha Trang - faced with a rainy day we decided to try out the mud baths. Who knew sitting what's essentially a hole full of mud could be so relaxing?! It feels amazing on your skin, and once you've had enough of the mud you can head over to jet sprays, hot springs and waterfalls. Bliss.